Frame for box spring assembly

ABSTRACT

A frame formed at least in part of metal and adapted to be combined with a box spring assembly to provide a support for the spring assembly. The frame is generally rectangular and consists of side and end frame rails and a plurality of spaced cross rails connected to and extended between the side rails, the majority of the springs being mounted in pairs of aligned slots formed in the cross rails. Two forms of the invention are disclosed, an all metal form and a combination wood and metal form in which the side and end rails are made of wood. In the all metal form, wood strips and plastic strips are assembled with the side and end rails so as to provide tacking surfaces on which the conventional cloth cover for the box spring assembly can be mounted.

Unite States Patent Slominski et a1.

[451 Aug. 1, 1972 FRAME FOR BOX SPRING ASSEIVIBLY Inventors: Walter V.Slominski, Lexington; John P. Kitchen, Georgetown; Jack C. Mandusky,Lexington, all of Ky.

Hoover Ball and Bearing Company, Saline, Mich.

Filed: Dec. 19, 1969 Appl. No.: 886,468

Assignee:

US. Cl ..5/247 llnt. Cl ..A47c 23/02, A47c 23/04 Field of Search..5/200, 246, 247, 261, 260,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1927 Palmer ..5/333.7 X

3,049,729 8/1962 Broyles ..5/200 3,080,576 3/1963 Cervisi ..5/200x3,286,281 1l/1966 Slominski ..5/247 Primary Examiner-Paul R. GilliamAtrorney-'Olsen and Stephenson 5 7] ABSTRACT A frame formed at least inpart of metal and adapted to be combined with a box spring assembly toprovide a support for the spring assembly. The frame is generallyrectangular and consists of side and end frame rails and a plurality ofspaced cross rails connected to and extended between the side rails, themajority of the springs being mounted in pairs of aligned slots formedin the cross rails. Two forms of the invention are disclosed, an allmetal form and a combination wood and metal form in which the side andend rails are made of wood. In the all metal form, wood strips andplastic strips are assembled with the side and end rails so as toprovide tacking surfaces on which the conventional cloth cover for thebox spring assembly can be mounted.

4 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUG 1 I972 SHEET 1 BF 4 d- INVENTCRWALTER V. SLOMINSK! JOHN P. KITCHEN BY JACK C. MANDUSKY y/MMV IATTORNEYS PATENTEDAUB 1 I972 sum 2 OF 4 INVENTOR WALTER V. SLOMINSKIJOHN P. KITCHEN BY JACK C.MANDUSK| ATTO'RNEYS PATENT'EDaus 1 m23.680.157

SHEU3UF4 j Ir E/l/l/ 14 3 6 76.11 W 0 I //4 2 v4 /fli INVENTORS WALTERv. SLOMINSKI JOHN P. KITCHEN BY JACK c. MANDUSKY ATTORNEYS PATENTEDAUS 1I972 SHEU [If 4 ATTORNEYS FRAME FOR BOX SPRING ASSEMBLY It is an objectof this invention to provide an improved frame support for box springassemblies and more particularly to provide an improved frame forsupporting box spring assemblies of the type shown in US. Pat. No.3,286,281 owned by the assignee of this application, in which thesprings are not of the conventional coil type but are of the formed wiretype.

Box spring frames are conventionally formed of wood. A number of woodrails are nailed together so as to form a generally rectangular framehaving wood cross rails or slats. Coil springs are supported on theslats and the frame, a pad is applied over the coil springs, and afabric cover is placed over the padding and tacked to the frame. The boxspring is then supported in a bed either on the conventional bed frameor on a metal angle iron frame to which a headboard can be attached. Itis becoming increasingly difficult to obtain low cost lumber ofsufficiently high quality to form wooden box spring frames which willnot either split during fabrication or fail in use. In any case, woodenframes are seldom of sufficient strength to provide the primary bedsupport enabling direct attachment of legs to the box spring frame. Ametal box spring frame, or a combination wood and metal frame, which canbe economically manufactured from readily obtainable structuralmaterials and which will be light enough in weight to be readily handledand still be of sufficient strength to enable the frame to be used asthe primary bed support is thus highly desirable in the beddingindustry.

The present invention provides, in a preferred form, a box spring framein which the principal frame components, namely, the side and end railsand the cross rails are formed of a light gauge metal shaped to provideupright webs or leg sections having primary strength in resistingbending in vertical planes. Thus, the metal in the frame components isused efficiently to resist the primary loads to which the frame will besubjected. In addition, slots are formed in the upright legs in thecross rails, and the end portions of the majority of the springs in thespring assembly are shaped so that they can be snapped into the slots inthe cross rails. The result is that the cross rails function to supportthe springs. Similar slots are formed in tabs on the end rails forsupporting the remainder of the springs. Thus, the frame of thisinvention can be used as the fixture on which the springs are assembled,thereby eliminating the need for a sub-assembly of the springs prior toassembly with the frame of this invention. In addition, wood strips areassembled with the side and end rails to provide the necessary tackingsurfaces on which the box spring cover can be mounted. The end railshave curved end sections and flexible plastic strips are frictionallyretained on these end sections to provide similar tacking surfaces forthe cover at the corners of the frame.

In another embodiment of the invention, the side and end rails are madeof wood, instead of metal, to reduce the cost of the frame relative toan all metal frame while retaining the principal advantages relative toan all wood frame, such as reduced weight, improved strength and noisefree characteristics and ease of assembly of frame and springs.

This invention thus provides a lightweight metal frame which can beeconomically manufactured and assembled with a box spring assembly so asto provide a support for the spring assembly which is of sufficientstrength and reliability to enable its use as the primary bed support,and a combination wood and metal frame which has many of theseadvantages.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following description, the appendedclaims, and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a foreshortened plan view of one form of the box spring andframe assembly of this invention in which the principal frame componentsare all formed of metal;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the spring and frameassembly of this invention as seen from substantially the line 22 inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of the endframe rail in the box spring frame of this invention as seen fromsubstantially the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of another portion ofthe end rail in the box spring frame of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view like FIG. 3 of a modified form of end railconstruction in the box spring frame of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of a portion of theframe of this invention as seen from substantially the line 6-6 in FIG.1 showing the assembly of a side rail and a cross rail with a legsupporting bracket;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view like FIG. 4 illustrating theassembly with a portion of the end rail of a modified form of plastictacking strip and rail assembly;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a cross rail in theframe of this invention;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the portion of the frame of thisinvention shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side view of the structure shown in FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are fragmentary detail sectional views, as seen from thelines 11-11 and l2--l2, respectively, in FIG. 13, of a modified form ofthe frame of this invention; and

FIG. 13 is a foreshortened plan view of the modified form which useswood side and end rails.

With reference to the drawing, one form of the box spring frame of thisinvention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 inassembly relation with a box spring assembly 12a of the general typeshown in the aforementioned US. patent. The frame 10 consists of a pairof parallel side rails 12, a pair of end rails 14 and a plurality ofcross frame rails 16. The side rails 12 are straight, and the end rails14 are likewise straight over the major portions of their lengths. Ateach of its ends, each end rail 14 is cut and bent ninety degrees uponitself so as to form a curved section 18 which is welded to the adjacentend of the adjacent side rail 12 so as to form the frame 10 of agenerally rectangular shape having curved corners, this being theconventional shape of a box spring frame.

The cross rails 16 are welded at their ends at the side rails 12 so thatthe cross rails 16 are arranged in a sub stantially uniform spacedrelation between the end rails 14. Substantially midway between itsends, each of the end rails 14. Each cross rail 16 (FIG. 8) is of achannel or U-shape in cross section, having a base portion 22 and legportions 24 which extend upwardly from the base portion 22. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 9, each cross rail 16 is formed with a plurality of slots 26arranged in aligned pairs at predetermined positions along the length ofthe rail 16. Each rail 16 has the slots 26 formed in the upright legs 24at positions adjacent the base 22. As shown in FIG. 2, each rail 16 hasa pair of slots 26 at each end for a purpose to appear presently.

Each of the end rails 14 is provided with upstruck tabs 28 (FIGS. 1 and3) which are arranged in pairs with the spacing between the tabs 28 ineach pair being substantially the same as the spacing between the legs24 in a cross rail 16. Each of the tabs 28 is formed with a slot 30 likethe slots 26 in the cross rails 16.

The side rails 12 are identical, and as shown in FIG. 6, each side rail12 is shaped so that it includes a substantially horizontal supportportion 32 and a depending web portion 34 which terminates at its loweredge in an inwardly curved lip 36. A wood tacking strip 38 is combinedwith each of the side rails 14 by positioning the strip 38 so that it isengaged with the web 34 on one side as shown in FIG. 6. The strip 38 canbe retained in the position shown in FIG. 6 in which the lip 36 on theweb 34 bites into the strip 38 in a number of ways, the preferred methodof assembly being illustrated in FIG. 6. Each of the cross rails 16which is positioned ad-. jacent an end rail 14 is provided at its endswith a leg bracket 40 which is secured, as by welding, at one end 41 tothe raill6 and at the opposite end 43 to the support portion 32 of theside rail 12. The bracket 40 includes a horizontal wall portion 42 onwhich a mounting nut 44 for attaching a supporting leg 46 to the frameis mounted. The bracket 40 also includes a vertical wall 48 which isparallel to and spaced from the side rail web 34 a distancecorresponding substantially to the thickness of the wood tacking strip38. This enables an upwardly inclined tab 50 to be struck out of thewall 48 into engaging and retaining relation with the wood strip 38 asshown in FIG. 6. The purpose of the wood strip 38 is to provide atacking surface 52 below the frame rail 12 to which the conventionalfabric cover, indicated at 54 in FIG. 6, can be secured as by tacks 56.The inwardly curved lip 36 on the lower end of the web 34 prevents thefabric cover 54 from being cut by the web 34.

It can thus be seen that the brackets 40 perform a dual function,namely, the function of providing a mounting for the support legs 46 forthe frame 10 and the function of retaining the wood strips 38 in theside rails 12. Similar tacking strips 58 are provided on the end rails14 and are assembled therewith, preferably as shown in FIG. 3. Aplurality of brackets 60, of generally U-shape are attached, as bywelding, at their upper ends to the horizontal support portion 62 of theend frame rail 14. Each bracket 60 includes an upright wall 64 which isparallel to and spaced from the upright web 66 on the end rail 14 adistance corresponding substantially to the thickness of the tackingstrip 58. A tab 68 is then bent out of the bracket 60 and positioned sothat a portion 70 of the tab .68 is below and in a supporting relationwith the wood strip 58. Alternatively, a tab 72 can be bent out of thesupport portion 62 so that it extends downwardly at a position parallelto the web 66 as shown in FIG. 5. An upwardly inclined portion 74 of thetab 72 is then deformed into frictional and retaining engagement withthe tacking strip 58 so that the lower surface 76 thereof can be used asa tacking surface for retaining the box spring cover 54 in position.

Since the curved sections 18 at the ends of the end rails 14 do notinclude wood tacking strips, a plastic strip 75, formed of a suitableflexible material such as polyethylene and having a slot 81, isfrictionally retained on the lower edge of the depending section web 77,as shown in FIG. 4. This arrangement provides a horizontal tackingsurface 79 below the web 77, like the surfaces 52 and 76 heretoforeexplained. To improve the retention capabilities of the web 77, it canbe provided with an offset portion 83 as shown in FIG. 7, and the slot85 in the strip can be irregularly shaped as shown. If desired, thestrip 75 can also be used on the side and end rail webs 34 and 66,respectively, to eliminate the need for the wood strips 38 and 58.

The spring assembly 12a consists of a plurality of main springs 78 whichextend generally transversely of the frame 10, similar main springs 80which extend longitudinally of the frame 10 and intermediate supportsprings 82 which are located within the boundary defined by the side andend rails 12 and 14, respectively. Onlyfragmentary portions of some ofthe support springs 82 appear in FIG. 1 because of the foreshortenednature of FIG. 1, it being understood that the springs 82 are preferablylocated as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,281 but can be arranged in anylocations desired for achieving the required spring support. Each of thesprings 78,80 and 82 includes a substantially horizontal body portion 84which is straight and is located a predetermined distance above theframe 10 so as to provide a spring assembly 12a of a thicknesscorresponding to the desired thickness of the box spring to be supportedby the frame 10. The body portion 84 of each of the springs ismaintained in this spaced position by depending mounting portions 86which extend downwardly from opposite ends of the body portion 84. Eachof the mounting portions 86 consists of a plurality of torsion bars andconnecting bars arranged so as to provide for yieldable deflection ofthe spring under load, the exact configuration of each mounting portion86 not forming a part of the present invention.

Each of the springs 78, 80 and 82 has its mounting portion 86 shaped sothat it terminates in a generally U- shape foot or attaching portion 88(FIG. 9). The foot 88 is substantially horizontal when the springassembly 12 is mounted on the frame 10 and includes a pair of spacedlegs 90 and 92 which are spring stressed so that they tend to springapart. The leg 90 is formed adjacent its terminal end with a curvedhook-shaped portion 94 and the legs 90 and 92 are connected by a bar 96.This construction of a foot 88 enables the quick assembly of each of thesprings 78, 80 and 82 with the frame 10 by manually moving the legs 90and 92 toward each other and inserting the foot 88 through a pair ofaligned slots 26 or 30 to a position in which the spring legs 90 and 92can be released, and the hook-shaped portion 94 will be at one end ofone of the slots. The spring tension in the legs 90'and 92 tending tourge them apart then prevents accidental removal of a spring from theframe 10.

Thus, in the case of the main springs 78, the attaching portions 88 atthe ends thereof are inserted in the slots 26 at the ends of the crossrails 16, as shown in FIG. 2. The attaching portions 88 at the ends ofthe main springs 80 are positioned in the slots 30 in the tabs 28 formedon the end rails 14. The attaching portions 88 on the intermediatesprings 82 are inserted in the slots 26 disposed in the cross rails 16intermediate the ends of the rail 16. Thus, the frame can function asthe fixture during assembly of the springs 78, 80 and 82 to form thespring assembly 12, thereby eliminating the need for a separate fixtureand sub-assembly of the springs 78, 80 and 82. Conventional clips 98 areemployed to connect the intermediate support springs 82 to the mainsprings 78 and 80 and to connect the ends of the main springs 78 and 80to a conventional border wire 100.

It can thus be seen that the frame 10 consists essentially of side rails12, end rails 14, and cross rails 16, each of which includes an uprightweb. This enables the frame 10 to be of the requisite strength inbending for resisting vertical loads while still being lighter than theconventional wood frame. It should be noted also that the center supportbar 20 consists essentially of sideby-side upright webs (FIG. 2). Themetal construction of the cross rails 16 on which the majority ofsprings are mounted assures a noise free spring and frame assembly.

The modified frame 10a shown in FIG. 13 includes cross rails 16 andtherefore has many of the advantages heretofore described in connectionwith frame 10. The frame 10a differs essentially from frame 10 in thatit employs wood side and end rails 12a and 14a in place of the metalside and end rails 12 and 14 used in the frame 10.

In the frame 10a, each side rail 12a (FIG. 11) consists of a main boardmember 102 having an edge board member 104 nailed to the top sidethereof. Each end rail 14a (FIG. 12) includes a main board member 106and an edge board member 108 nailed to the bottom side thereof. The endsof the side rails 12a and the end rails 14a are nailed together to formthe generally rectangular frame 10a shown in FIG. 13. The cross rails 16are supported on the top sides of the main boards 102 in the side rails12a and are secured thereto by staples 110. The main springs 78 and theintermediate support springs 82 are then supported on the cross rails16, the same as in the frame 10. The feet 88 on the main springs aresecured to the main boards 106 in the end rails by staples 112.Intermediate their ends, the cross rails 16 are supported on a T-shapesupport bar 114 which is secured at its ends by staples 116 to the topside of the main board 106 in each of the end rails 14a.

It can thus be seen that the modified frame 10a retains many of theadvantages of the metal frame 10, and in addition is more economical toconstruct by virtue of the use of wood side and end rails.

What is claimed is:

l. A generally rectangular frame for a box spring assembly whichincludes a plurality of connected wire springs, each of said springshaving a body portion locateda predetermined distantfle above said frameand depending mounting portions aving en s WhlCh terminate insubstantially horizontal attaching portions, said frame comprising sideand end frame rails and spaced cross rails extending between said siderails, each of said cross rails being formed of a rigid material andhaving upright leg sections which are horizontally spaced, said legsections being connected together at one of their ends and the spacebetween said legs being open at their other ends, said leg sectionsbeing formed with a plurality of slots arranged in horizontally alignedpairs, and said spring attaching portions on at-least some of saidsprings being extended horizontally through pairs of said slots andbeing spring biased into frictional engagement with said leg sections atthe ends of said slots as to mount said springs on said cross rails.

2. A frame according to claim 1 wherein said side and end rails areformed of wood and said cross rails are secured at the ends thereof tosaid side rails, and further including a support bar secured at the endsthereof to said end rails and disposed in a supporting relation withsaid cross rails intermediate the ends thereof.

3. A frame according to claim 1 wherein each of said spring attachingportions is of generally U-shape having a pair of leg portions which arespring biased so that they tend to spring away from each other andfrictionally engage said cross rail leg sections at the ends of saidslots.

4. A frame according to claim 3 wherein one of said attaching legportions is formed adjacent one end with a curved substantially hookshape section positioned in one of said slots so as to engage a crossrail at the end of said one slot and prevent movement of said attachingportion out of said slot.

1. A generally rectangular frame for a box spring assembly whichincludes a plurality of connected wire springs, each of said springshaving a body portion located a predetermined distance above said frameand depending mounting portions having ends which terminate insubstantially horizontal attaching portions, said frame comprising sideand end frame rails and spaced cross rails extending between said siderails, each of said cross rails being formed of a rigid material andhaving upright leg sections which are horizontally spaced, said legsections being connected together at one of their ends and the spacebetween said legs being open at their other ends, said leg sectionsbeing formed with a plurality of slots arranged in horizontally alignedpairs, and said spring attaching portions on at least some of saidsprings being extended horizontally through pairs of said slots andbeing spring biased into frictional engagement with said leg sections atthe ends of said slots as to mount said springs on said cross rails. 2.A frame according to claim 1 wherein said side and end rails are formedof wood and said cross rails are secured at the ends thereof to saidside rails, and further including a support bar secured at the endsthereof to said end rails and disposed in a supporting relation withsaid cross rails intermediate the ends thereof.
 3. A frame according toclaim 1 wherein each of said spring attaching portions is of generallyU-shape having a pair of leg portions which are spring biased so thatthey tend to spring away from each other and frictionally engage saidcross rail leg sections at the ends of said slots.
 4. A frame accordingto claim 3 wherein one of said attaching leg portions is formed adjacentone end with a curved substantially hook shape section positioned in oneof said slots so as to engage a cross rail at the end of said one slotand prevent movement of said attaching portion out of said slot.